I want to begin by asking you a question. If you believe there is one God
then how do you explain the many different and contradictory religions that
exist in our world?

Let me tell you one of the most popular
ways of answering this question by using what is often called the Elephant
Illustration. Let me stress this is not what Christians believe but it is a
common way of trying to make sense of the different world religions.

It goes something like this. Suppose you have three blindfolded people
who are led into a room where an elephant is standing. They are then asked
to guess what is in the room with them. First one, holds the tail and says
‘this is a rope’. The second holds the front leg and says ‘this
is a tree trunk’. The third holds the trunk and says ‘this is a
snake.’ There is one elephant and the people are trying their best to
guess what it is.

This is how many people like to view the
different world religions. There is one God and different religions are sincerely
trying to guess what this God is like. Many like to imagine that all the religions
are sincerely worshipping the same God but in their own different ways.

In the days when this chapter of the Bible was written and when
it would have been heard the religious views of humanity were very different.
Not one God and different ways of understanding him. Each nation believed it
had its own god or gods who looked after the people. There was one exception
to this ancient way of thinking. The people of Israel. They were convinced
that only one God existed and he had pledged himself to be the God of Israel.
They also believed that although the other nations were very religious they
were not worshipping the God of Israel in a different way. Rather, they had
invented their own repulsive gods to meet their need to worship something bigger
than themselves.

This belief left them with a number of questions.
How powerful was the God of Israel? Did he have geographical boundaries that
limited his intervention in world affairs? Did he get involved in world affairs?
Did he have any plans for the other nations? They were confident that the only
God had pledged himself to them but what about everybody else? Did he have
any plans for the other nations?

Well, in Isaiah chapter 45
the God of Israel told his people two great truths that he wanted them –
and that he still wants us - to believe.

1.
The God of Israel is completely in control of everything

2.
The God of Israel is the only Saviour available

Let me show
you these heart warming truths from the Bible.

First of all,
that the God of Israel is completely in control of everything. Look at what
we’re told in verses 1 to 7. As I read listen out for his uniqueness
and the extensiveness of his control.

“This is what the
LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue
nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before
him so that gates will not be shut: 2 I will go before you and will level
the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places,
so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you
by name. 4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon
you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge
me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no
God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, 6 so
that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there
is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. 7 I form the
light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD,
do all these things.

This was originally disclosed to a prophet
called Isaiah who started his ministry about 740BC. It was written down and
preserved until about 540BC, when the Jewish people found themselves in exile
in Babylon and when began to hear about a Persian King called Cyrus, who was
quickly taking control of the Babylonian empire.

Do you see
what we’ve just read in these opening few verses of Isaiah? Over 150
years before he was even born the God of Israel predicted by name the person
he would use to return his exiled people from their country of captivity.

We know from historical records that Cyrus gave praise to the god
Marduk for his quick victory over the Babylonians. But here is a section of
the Bible that should have convinced him that the reason for his success belonged
to the God of Israel. The reason he should have come to that conclusion
was because all these years before he was even conceived in his mother’s
womb, the God of Israel had mentioned him by name and had spoken about his
future empire.

I find this truth so encouraging. The God of
Israel can foresee the future. He knows exactly what is going on. He doesn’t
make plans when all the facts are not available.

Watch the
West Wing. In the situation room. Sometimes decisions are delayed when there
is not enough information or sometimes wrong decisions are made when not every
possibility has been thought of. But not this God. He knows exactly what will
happen and makes his plans accordingly.

This stops us in our
tracks and makes us pay attention – and it should – but let me
tell you what would have really shocked the original hearers of this prophecy.
It wasn’t so much that their God could predict the future. He had done
this many times before. The shocking thing was who he had decided to use to
accomplish his purposes.

Look at verse 1 again. This is what
the LORD [the name of the God of Israel] says to his anointed [literally his
Messiah, his chosen one] – and that is Cyrus. Not a Jewish King but a
Persian King who according to the end of verse 4 doesn’t even acknowledge
the God of Israel. But nevertheless the God of Israel is so powerful and so
in control of everything that he can even use pagan kings to achieve his purposes.

There is no doubt when you read these verses who is responsible
for Cyrus’ victories. “I will go before you and will level the
mountains. I will break down gates of bronze…I will give you the treasures
of darkness…I will strengthen you.” Again and again the same point
being made.

The God of Israel is completely in control of everything
and he can use anyone to achieve his greater purposes.

This
raises a few problematic questions about God’s control and God’s
sovereignty over history. If God is in complete control of everything then
what about evil actions that are committed? Is God responsible for them? Even
if not then why does God not stop them?

Let me allow God to
speak for himself. Look at what he says in verse 7. “I form the light
and create darkness [I think here he is talking about the natural world –
darkness is the withdrawal of light - but look at what he says next],
I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD [that is, the God of Israel],
do all these things.”

Elsewhere the Bible says God is
not responsible for creating evil. How can we hold these truths together? Evil
comes from the sinful natures of human beings but God can and does use the
evil intentions of human beings for his greater purposes and his greater glory.
Like the darkness where God withdraws light here he withdraws his restraint
on evil.

This is a truth that many people find difficult to
take on board and when they hear it they often want to question whether God’s
methods are legitimate. If that is you then listen to what we read in verses
9-13.

“Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is
but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the
potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has
no hands’? 10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What have
you begotten?’ or to his mother, ‘What have you brought to birth?’
11 “This is what the LORD says — the Holy One of Israel, and its
Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or
give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 It is I who made the earth
and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled
their starry hosts. 13 I will raise up Cyrus in my righteousness: I will
make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty.”

We
need to be humble before this God and trust his methods.

Two
examples of when he has used evil intentions for the greater good of his people
and the greater glory of his name. Joseph and the death of Jesus.

Genesis 50:20, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for
good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Acts 2:23, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose
and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by
nailing him to the cross.”

Let us trust that God’s ways
will ultimately be shown to be righteous and good. When he permits evil to
flourish it is not because he has lost control but because he has reasons.

Zimbabwe – wicked man, still pray. God has permitted this
to happen. It is not outside his control.

The God of Israel
is completely in control of everything.

The second truth we
discover from Isaiah 45 is that the God of Israel is the only Saviour available.
This is what we’re told in verses 14 to 25.

We won’t
look at the whole section in detail but let me highlight a few verses that
have impacted me this week.

Verse 14, “This is what the
LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, and those
tall Sabeans — they will come over to you and will be yours; they will
trudge behind you, coming over to you in chains. They will bow down before
you and plead with you, saying, ‘Surely God is with you, and there is
no other; there is no other god.’”

Here is a promise
that at some point in the future people from non-Jewish nations will join the
Jewish people and acknowledge that the God of Israel is the only God.

Verse 20 and 21, “Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives
from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray
to gods that cannot save. 21 Declare what is to be, present it —
let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it
from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from
me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.”

There
is no Saviour but the God of Israel

Look at the invitation in
verse 22. “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I
am God, and there is no other.”

Why is there a need to
turn to the God of Israel? The need is explained in verses 23 to 25.

“By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a
word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue
will swear. 24 They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness
and strength.’” All who have raged against him will come to him
and be put to shame. 25 But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel
will be found righteous and will exult.”

Those in the
LORD [The God of Israel] will be found righteous.

To understand
how all this was fulfilled all we need to do is turn to the New Testament and
read what we are told about Jesus.

The God of Israel revealed
himself to be a Trinity. The Father sent his only Son to be the powerful Spirit
filled Jewish Messiah. He was called Jesus.

After he had arrived
as the promised Messiah the people of God were formed around him. They were
gathered round Jesus. This is the same today. The people of God are all linked
to Jesus but are composed many nationalities.

•
This is how the nations come to the people of Israel.

•
The offer is made to all nations to come and be saved. There is no Saviour
but Jesus. Other religions are not different ways of making contact with the
only true God. The way we show we are worshiping the true God is by becoming
committed followers of Jesus,

• Every
knee will bow before this Jesus.

It shows us the deity of Jesus
and also his position.

Philippians 2:10-11, “…at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.”

Will you have trusting submission now
or acknowledgement when it’s too late in the future? That’s the
choice.

• In Jesus we are found righteous.

Is there anyone here tonight who need to turn to the only Saviour?
Let me invite you to do that tonight as we finish in prayer.

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